The present invention relates to electrician's tools, and more particularly to a tool for mounting electrical boxes at a proper height and depth.
During the construction of buildings, the basic building framework is first "roughed-in". This includes, in most cases, the erection of wall structures in the form of wood or metal studs attached to floor plates and top plates to form exterior and interior walls. Upon the completion of this stage of construction, electrical outlet boxes and junction boxes are attached to the studs. The electrical wiring for the building can then be put in place with terminations inside the boxes. All of this is completed prior to the enclosure of the wall studs by wallboard or other interior wall surfaces.
During rough construction, the location of electrical boxes for outlets and wall switches must be determined vertically from the floor. The boxes must also be mounted to extend outwardly from the front surface of the studs a predetermined amount established by the thickness of the finished wall materials to be placed over the studs. To accomplish this, the electrician must measure both the vertical height and depth of each box to be mounted. This relatively time consuming task reduces the electrician's efficiency. In addition, variations can occur due to measurement errors, which may result in some boxes being mounted noticeably too high or too low. Errors in depth measurements can cause gaps between the switch plate or outlet plate and the wall in the finished project, or can make it difficult to mount the wall plates if the box does not project fully into the wallboard or other finish material.
In the past, a variety of different devices have been proposed for assisting in the mounting of electrical boxes on studs of a building under construction. Most of the prior art structures use complicated mechanisms to hold the box and/or provide for adjustability. U.S. Pat. No. 4,750,271 to Ericksen provides a spring loaded clamp member for holding a box while it is being nailed to a stud. The clamp member is mounted to a pipe for adjustable vertical positioning.
U.S Pat. No. 2,990,172 to Gianotta provides an adjustable upright with a box support containing spring clips. U.S. Pat. No. 4,126,941 to Clarke provides a template for positioning electrical outlet and switch boxes. There is no means provided to hold the box while it is being mounted.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,919,913 to Phair; 2,962,281 to Hodgson; 2,956,798 to Briggs; 3,875,669 to Hull; 3,954,717 to Tarr; 4,635,372 to Tande; 4,850,115 to Price, et al.; 4,888,879 to Dixon; and 4,901,447 to Gottschalk all disclose electrical box mounting tools that are quite complex and include a large number of parts. U.S. Design Pat. No. 205,722; 230,628; 250,095; 250,255; and 259,026 disclose somewhat simpler devices for locating junction boxes.
It would be advantageous to provide an easy to use, low cost one-piece tool that both positions a box and holds the box during installation. Proper height and depth of the box should be provided. The present invention provides such a tool.